Friday, April 29, 2011

Pennsylvania Road Trip!

I left for Pennsylvania on the wee small hours of Wednesday morning --- Up at 5am, out the door by 5:30 am! More and more I’m liking getting an earlier start. I have always been a morning person, and when you have a 9 hour drive ahead of you, it doesn’t feel so bad to get there by 3pm instead of 6 pm. I know that it is the SAME amount of hours, but believe me…you feel like you just have so much more day left that way, rather than just check into the hotel and go straight to bed after dinner from being exhausted after driving so far!

However, upon hitting West Virginia on my way up I-81, Things came to a complete stand still!

I slowed down as the tail lights in front of me were all blaring red…and we crawled to a complete and utter STOP. And we parked there, on the interstate, in miles and miles of traffic due to a wreck up ahead. Someone said it was a 10 car pile up—I have no idea if that is the case or not, but the traffic was stopped in BOTH directions, and they were using the opposite lanes of traffic to bring in the emergency vehicles –and there were several helicopters ((News or Life Flight? I don’t know??)) and my heart was sick for the people who were involved.

And we were stuck there! With the price of gas skyrocketing (( I watched it climb another 20+ cents in the time span of about an hour here yesterday afternoon while I was out for a power walk!)) people turned off their cars, and their trucks and rolled windows down. Some started to even mill around and talk to their “neighbors”.

I don’t know if you can tell from the above picture, but the traffic goes on for miles in front of me, around that bend.

And miles BEHIND me! See those guys in the median? They had a football and were throwing passes to occupy the time. I was glad I had my phone. I checked email, I checked face book. I seriously wished that I had hit the last rest stop I had passed!

That silver Saturn? That’s the Quiltville Mobile! And I am not sitting in it! I am sitting on a rock in the shade, just watching people and enjoying the beautiful weather—we CAN make the most out of every bad situation, can’t we?

We sat for an hour, and just when I thought I would have to resort to the call of the bushes, we started to move ---Exciting stuff being a traveling circuit quilter, isn’t it?

I had a lot of fun meeting everyone at the lecture on Wednesday evening…..and we ALMOST found ourselves having the trunkshow from our TRUNKS! The church where we were meeting was locked up tight, and no one could be reached to come open it! Quilters are always ready for everything, and it was a nice enough evening I think we could have pulled off a quilty tailgate party in the parking lot if we had to!

Some other ladies and a girlscout troop showed up, and we were let in, and set down to business.

DO YOU SEE THE SIZE OF THIS SPOOL OF THREAD?!? They really believe in gifting big here in PA! I had a huge laugh over this! LOL! I’ll have to put a date on the inside and see just how long it takes me to use it! Thank you ladies for bringing me laughter and friendship, and I know not only your HEARTS are big….and yes, we now now that that infamous saying also applies to quilters – SIZE DOES MATTER!

Yesterday we had a really fun and full Virginia Bound workshop ---and though we started out in the pounding rain as a thunderstorm moved through in the early morning hours, we sewed and sewed and sewed, and by the time we were done, the sun was out in it’s full spring glory!

You have to check out the tiny 4” block quarters that make an 8” star! TOO CUTE!!

And I also have to confess – the ONE thing on my must do list for my time in PA has been accomplished!

Yes, I succumbed to the call of the Harrisburg style cheesesteak! OH GOODNESS! Messy, saucy, cheesy goodness! It’s a good thing that I’ve spent the past two mornings up early and on the elliptical trainer here at the hotel, and since yesterday afternoon was so lovely, the running shoes went back on my feet and I got another 3 miles in before dinner – just because!

Today? RETAIL THERAPY! I’m headed for a bit of Zooks & Sauders and whatever other antique mall trouble I can get myself into!

10 comments:

Hi Bonnie, I did a double take when I saw the traffic jam you were stuck in... I was stuck in that exact spot a few yrs back on my way north on 81 - what is it with that road?Glad to see you made it to your destination, eventually! that cheese steak is making me hungry - now I need to get some breakfast!

What glorious color combinations in those blocks! The yellow and green was gorgeous and the pretty 1930's repros beautiful too!With that traffic jam, it's a good thing you started out early on your trip. Then you didn't have to feel rushed in your travels.

Hi, Bonnie!! I was up early this morning to make fresh raisin scones with Devonshire Cream, strawberry jam and lemon curd. Just a little treat for my English born hubby. They turned out pretty good if I do say so myself.

Loved all the combinations from your workshop. They all look super. Wish I was shopping with you today. I could use it. Enjoy yourself. Safe travels. Thanks for sharing all your photos.